Papier Mache Monsters

This was a project I taught for the first time a couple of years ago. To be honest, papier mache projects aren't my favourite because, first of all, they take so long to complete when you only see your students once a week. Secondly, I find it really difficult getting my students to use good paper mache techniques- they want to rush, use huge pieces of paper and just don't take the time and care needed to get a nice smooth finished. 

Nonetheless, students tend to enjoy paper mache so I sucked it up and forged ahead!

I taught this to a mixed class of Grade 7-9.

I saw this lesson posted on Instagram, and, for the life of me, I can't find where I got it from. So, if you're the originator of this lesson, please leave a comment so I can credit you!

Materials you will need: black ping pong balls (I found it was cheaper to order beer pong balls off Amazon!), newspaper or newsprint, a variety of empty plastic bottles and small boxes, masking tape, acrylic paint.

I asked students months before to bring in empty coffee creamer. Spoiler alert: barely anyone did!  I find my older students are pretty much useless at bringing in things from home. So yeah, it mostly came from me!! I also asked staff. For boxes, I collected small ones such as kleenex, Kraft dinner, and any other small food boxes from home.

I have a large roll of newsprint that we used for paper mache-ing. 

So students chose either a bottle or a box, then, using newspaper, the taped on arms and limbs and a head, making sue to include a ping pong ball for an eye. 

Here's my sample below:

They do a layer of papier mache. Let dry completely.

Then paint it however you like using acrylics.

Students work:

I use Elemer's Paste for my papier mache mix. 

It's essentially wallpaper paste. 

I made the biiiig mistake of also starting this project in may, forgetting how hectic and crazy May and June are at my school, with so many field trips and missing students. So I ended up with half the classes not finishing their monsters which was super sad for me!

Nonetheless, lesson learned maybe?!

Here are some completed monsters: